With the second round of the NFL playoffs upon us, there are multiple aspirants to become last season’s Giants, the team from nowhere that swept through the postseason to an improbable Super Bowl title.

Unfortunately for the Giants, they aren’t one of them. They are the NFC’s top-seeded team, the hunted instead of the hunter, as they prepare to meet Philadelphia for the third time this season.

Actually, it wouldn’t be too long a shot to suggest that the two sixth-seeded teams could make it to the Super Bowl in Tampa. Pittsburgh went that route in 2006 and won, and the Giants, the fifth seed (same difference) did it last year.

But never have two teams seeded that low gone to the same Super Bowl.

This season’s bottom seeds are the Ravens in the AFC and the Eagles in the NFC. They go up against the top-seeded Titans and Giants on the road in an all-rematch weekend. Both are live underdogs who would surprise no one if they won.

AFC

Put a blanket over all four contestants, including San Diego, which is just 9-8.

Remember that the Chargers were one of the preseason favorites to represent the conference in the Super Bowl and that they’ve looked strong in winning five consecutive. The past two were especially impressive: 52-21 over Denver in the regular-season finale that cemented the AFC West title, and 23-17 in overtime over Indianapolis that moved them on.

But it wasn’t LaDainian Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman doing it against the Colts, it was Darren Sproles, who had 328 all-purpose yards.

Pittsburgh, who the Chargers play, has one big question mark in Ben Roethlisberger, who was carried off the field with a concussion in the regular-season finale. He says he’ll play, but the final verdict is up to the doctors.

The game between Baltimore (12-5) and Tennessee (13-3) takes us back to the pre-realignment turn of the century, when both teams played in the AFC Central. In the same round that season, the Ravens won 24-10 in Nashville as a wild card against the Tennessee team that had won the division.

NFC

The Eagles (10-6-1) beat the Giants 20-14 on Dec. 7 in the Meadowlands. The Giants (12-4) won 36-31 in Philly on Nov. 9. Aggregate score: Eagles 51, Giants 50.

“Plenty of sun,” the positive section of the long-range forecast reads. “Highs in the low 30s. Lows in the low 20s.” No mention of winds. No need. They almost always blow at the Meadowlands, which probably means the team that runs better wins this game.

Arizona (10-7) is 4-7 outside the NFC West, was 3-5 on the road and 3-6 against teams with a .500 record or better. That includes a 27-23 loss to the Panthers (12-4) in Charlotte on Oct.26.